February 13, 2011 - A Fine Balance (Indian fare)

A Fine Balance (Oprah's Book Club)The first meeting of our co-ed book club was Sunday, Feb. 13,  2011 at 3:00, at Katherine and Bill's house.

We discussed A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry and ate Indian cuisine:

  • Soup:  Mulligatawny (Steph)
  • Rice (Julie and Tim?  Suzanne and Chester?)
  • Cucmbers (Suzanne and Chester)
  • Yogurt?? (Suzanne and Chester)
  • Rice pudding (Kerry and Bill)
Mulligatawny from Great Soups and Stews by ______

Spice mixture
8 whole cardamon pods
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
8 black pepper corns
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 whole cloves

4 tsp finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced?
__ turmeric

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion - sliced
1/2 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
4 lbs chicken pieces (with skin and bones)
1 cup yogurt
8 cups water

Rice (optional)

In a 200 degree oven, toast pods and seeds for 20 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, remove seeds from cardamon pods.  Crush all seeds, pods, pepper corns, pepper flakes and cloves to a fine powder. Blend with the 4 tsp of minced onion, garlic and turmeric.

Heat oil in 6-8 quart heavy pot. Sweat onions, carrots and celery.  Add chicken pieces and cook about 20 minutes, moving pieces around.  Add yogurt and stew until _____, about __ minutes, stirring occasionally, and making sure it doesn't burn.  Add water and spice mixture.  Cover and simmer for about 1 hour.  Remove chicken pieces from pot, skin them and pull meat off of bones; return the meat to the pot.  Optional to add rice.